Exploration and Colonization

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The British were among the notable players in the European exploration and colonization of the America. They established their sphere sprawling between 1607 and 1636, in three acute colonies explicitly the New England, the Mid-Atlantic and the Southern colonies. Coincidentally, these colonies were striped along the Atlantic Ocean coast (Rebecca Love Fishkin, 2008, p. 14). Amazingly, these colonies exhibited both parallel and diverse traits explorable, but not limited to their cultural practices. Cultural practices were synthesized to different degrees.

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To start with, the New England colony was primarily time-honored by settlers who quested for religious independence. Plymouth was the only colony established by the Pilgrims. These were separatists from the Church of England who quested for religious autonomy. New Hampshire, Massachusetts, Connecticut and Rhode Island were established by the Puritans. These were alleged to be liberals from the Anglican Church who reckoned impurities in the church. They failed in transformation of the church in England and sort the Americas for refuge against their condemnation, thereby gaining the acclaim of Puritans (Jackson, 1994, p. 78). These settlers of British origin were not privy to other modes of religious worship. As a result, they were bigoted and could not condone other religions.

The Mid-Atlantic colony was most vibrant, liberal and radical. It comprised of a crossbred of the former two colonies. It was cosmopolitan and multi religious. It created a lucrative serene ground for which forbearance was encapsulated. It became a vital link between the northern New England and the Souhern colony. In this regard, the middle colony became the war stage for American battles. Still, the exchange of ideas transformed the colony into a platform for American Revolution.

The Southern colony flourished in Catholicism religion and slavery. It had sprawling fertile lands that anchored plantation farming. The slaves and indentured servants became handy. The plantations however, became infested with diseases that almost wiped the population. The diseases also reduced the life expectancy in the Southern colony. The slaves were inhumanely treated and devised mechanisms to avoid labor. They later staged rebellions against their masters fueling strife in the colony.

The Mid-Atlantic colony habited a broad range of religions. The colony was a relatively stable ground that aboded dissidents from diverse religions. There was an assortment of religions prevalent. This inhabited the monopolization by one religion. (Doyle, 2005, p. 23) There were the Presbyterians, Anglicans, Quakers, Lutherans and the Dutch Calvinists. This was unlike the other colonies that comprised of monopolization by one denomination. The Southern colony’s religious traits were facsimile New England. It was founded by English Catholics who could not practice their religion in their native home. Catholicism became the sole religion. New England colony was established by Christian separatists and liberals (Abbott, 2009). These were the Pilgrims and the Puritans who sort religious sovereignty. Anglicanism was therefore the sole religion in New England.

Ethnicity also defined the cultural traits of these colonies. The Middle colony was rigidly cosmopoliitan boding a rich diversity. Different ethnic groups from the Europe mingled. Besides, there resided the original inhabitant tribes. These were the Algonquian and the Iroquois. There were also the African slaves. These had assailed the Atlantic slave trade. The rich diversity promulgated into tolerance. Furthermore, a proliferation of philosophy emerged. Benjamin Franklin was among the acumen. In addition, population drastically surged upward surpassing all other colonies. The New England colony comprised of only the British Pilgrims, Puritans and the native Indians. They lived isolated and detached. The Southern Colony was inhabited by the British settlers and the African slaves. Social classes were prevalent in the southern colony with the settlers annexing the top of hierarchy and the slaves clinching the bottom.

Besides religion, slavery was practiced in these colonies. The South to a large extent accomplished slavery surpassing the other colonies. This was cemented by the pertinent need for an inexpensive labor supply in the vast plantations of the south. In addition, slavery was carried out in the New England colony. The Atlantic slave trade heavily augmented and furnished the practice. The servants essentially provided a cheap labor supply in the farms. However, unlike in the south, there were servants in New England rather than slaves. The Mid-Atlantic colony, being a central ground hypothesized the two. However, it was least accomplished in slavery. There were no plantations and feeding the slaves became expensive.

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In conclusion, it is intensely authentic that the British colonies in America exhibited similar and different cultural characteristics.